Ground Op
by DC2011
Summary: It was her first ground op. She had eleven spartans by her side. And one elite changed that. set one year before Combat Evolved. One Shot.


She didn't know it would go wrong. All she did was strategically place her men in defensive order.

The Spartan was one of eleven. He was a demolitions expert; he held his assault rifle at the ready. She held her SMG at her side. Barking orders to the gold and blue Spartan who manned the turret. The elite was cloaked she didn't notice. But he did.

He let out a small burst from his rifle at the elite. At the same time the marine with package was gunned down by a wave of plasma from a grunt. The package fell from the floor above, right above the Spartan. The elite drew his needle rifle and aimed. The Spartan dropped his rifle to catch the package. Miranda turned to see the elite. The elite fired three shots, the first hit the Spartans left wrist, the second hit his shoulder, and the third hit his neck.

The Spartan dropped. Blood leaked from his neck. The needle had pierced through the liquid crystal layer. The Spartan drew his sidearm and unloaded the clip at the Elite. The elite's shields dropped. Miranda shot seven rounds killing the elite. She called out for a medic. Spartan A011, Joe, ran as fast as he could. The needle round in the Spartans wrist exploded, destroying his TACPAD. Joe was at least a yard away.

The needle in his shoulder exploded, the Spartan let out a cry of pain. Blood began to flow out of his left arm. Joe was two feet away now with the field kit in hand. Miranda stared at the Spartan in horror. The Spartan turned his head to face her. The flare from the third explosion was amplified by the Spartans EVA helmet. The flare caused Miranda to lose her sight for a brief few seconds.

Joe stopped and simply stared at his comrade. The Spartan surprisingly survived the explosion. Joe leaned next to his fellow Spartan III. He took out a bio foam canister and applied the foam to the Spartans neck. The Spartan let out a loud yell. Miranda had never seen a Spartan in pain. She couldn't bear to look at the Spartan.

The Pelicans had finally arrived. Joe motioned for a fellow Spartan to help carry their own. The Spartan with Recon helmet grabbed the injured Spartans legs, while Joe grabbed his upper body.

"Lieutenant grab the package we gotta get him out of here" yelled Joe.

Miranda did as the Warrant Officer told her. There was no outranking a Spartan in a combat situation. The group ran towards the third pelican with two other Spartans in tow.

Out of the pelican jumped out a Spartan in blue with a sniper rifle. He provided cover fire for twenty plus UNSC. When they reached the pelican Joe and the fellow Spartan simply flung their wounded Spartan into the troop bay. Miranda and the five Spartans took their seats in the pelican just as it departed. Joe got out of his seat and kneeled by his comrade's side.

"Ion Two what's Ion Four's status?" asked The Spartan II wearing standard mark IV armor with the number 117 on his chest plate.

"Not good sir my bio scanner shows that his heart rate is falling and fast".

Miranda got up and ran to the cockpit. "Hocus get us to our fleets medical ship ASA NOW!"

Hocus simply nodded as she kicked on the afterburners.

They arrived on the UNSC Arrival of Hope within minutes. They rushed their wounded Spartan to the med bay as fast as they could. The small group waited outside of the operation room. They were all silent the Spartan with the sniper rifle simply went on cleaning his piece. The Spartan with Recon took a seat and stared at the floor. The Spartan with a Grenadier helmet kept pacing back and forth. Joe simply stood in front of the door waiting. Miranda took up a seat next to the Spartan II.

Miranda turned to the Spartan about to ask him if he thought he would make it. Almost telepathically, the Spartan beat her to the punch. "Honestly I don't Lieutenant". His tone sent a shiver down her spine, but it wasn't his voice that was cold, it was his response. It was as if he expected his fellow Spartan to die. But it was also the realization that her first ground op resulted in the death of a Spartan super solider.

A few minutes of utter silence later the doors to the operation room flung open. The doctor had a dreadful look on his face. At the sight of him Miranda already figured the result.

"I'm sorry but he didn't make it" said the doctor and with that he returned to the room.

There was another brief moment of silence. It was soon broken by the Spartan II. "Devon I think you and the rest of Ion should go I need to talk to the Lieutenant in private.

Devon gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Alright, Ion lets go I have a report to fill out with Colonel Holland." Devon and the remainder of Ion set off, leaving Miranda and the Spartan alone.

"Ma'am are you alright?" asked the Spartan.

"You can cease with the formalities John" said Miranda in a low whisper.

"Well yes ma- Miranda its just I can tell your upset" John said removing his helmet.

Miranda had never seen John without his helmet before; it wasn't a few seconds later till she snapped out of her trance. "Well yes I am" said Miranda while turning her head towards the floor "This was my first op on the ground, I had eleven Spartans, twenty marines, and enough ordinance to put a crater the size of a frigate. And still I lost half my marines and the Spartan in that room." Miranda turned her head towards the closed doors of the operation room. She had never imagined that Spartans could die just like that. She had never thought Spartans could die just like any ordinary human.

"It may be a sad truth Miranda but we may be Spartans…" John paused before continuing "Us Spartans are only human".

_Only Human_.

Those words rang through her head.

"And just like other humans… we die".

A tear fell from Miranda's cheek. John could tell she was barely holding it in.

"But we did it the package was secured because of your leadership ma'am" John continued in an effort to calm her down "and im sure that if there was anyone else leading us not as many of us would have came back."

Miranda brought her head up with a faint smirk on her face. "Thanks chief" Miranda brought her head back down before continuing "but if only I was better."

* * *

><p>Ion 1 :: Encrypted Broadcast ::<p>

Colonel Holland it is with my distain to tell you that Ion 4, aka Darnall A023, is confirmed as M.I.A. The package has been secured and we are returning to reach.

Ion 1 out.


End file.
